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We have asked police, Highways England and the AA to find out what exactly you should do in these situations.

Be prepared

Motorway jams can happen at any time.

Highways England says as well as checking your vehicle to minimise the risk of breaking down you should prepare by keeping warm clothing, food and drink in your vehicle in case you are held up unexpectedly.

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It is also useful to have a first aid kit, any medication you may need for a long journey, snacks and energy bars.

Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged before you set off or take a portable power pack in case you need to call for help in an emergency.

Remain in your car

The AA recommends not to get out of your car at all while traffic is moving, no matter how slowly, as emergency vehicles and motorcycles filtering through traffic all pose a potential risk.

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A spokeswoman for AA said: "People were stuck in traffic for several hours on the M5 recently and were doing all sorts of things, such as playing football on the other empty carriageway, someone producing a guitar and entertaining drivers; others sharing food and drink etc.

"Strictly speaking that remains illegal but under the circumstances the police wouldn’t take any action and in this case were distributing water to drivers caught in the jam.

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If someone is in real distress (such as being taken ill), then call an ambulance which should be able to reach you either on the vacant opposite carriageway or up the hard shoulder.

If you really need to go...

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Needing the loo is a sensitive issue in such cases and people caught in this way should use their own discretion on how to deal with it.

Highways England, police and the Department for Transport couldn't give us definitive advice on this one. But the AA warned you may fall foul of public decency laws if you can’t find somewhere discreet to go.

It suggested portable disposable "loos" as a backup. So, if you are planning a trip on the M5 soon, it may be worth keeping one in the car for such emergencies.